Wedding Dress
by Shikata-ga-nai3012
Summary: Rukia's getting married to a man who she doesn't know. Can Kurosaki Ichigo, talented musician and Kuchiki Rukia's best friend and former lover, save her from her loveless marriage and herself before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1 : Prologue

My first story, kinda new to this so please bear with me.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. (and if I did, I'd probably butcher it beyond recognition)

Set in a world where there are no Shinigami, Hollows and all that jazz.

_Words in Italic_ stand for flashbacks.

Underlined words stand for thoughts.

&a& Indicates change of scene/ timeskip or POV.

* * *

><p>The rain seemed to mock Ichigo as it pelted down, as if saying, there's nothing to stop it now, no one to make the rain; both in and out go away. Sitting in his apartment, he was suddenly jolted out of his reverie by a succession of knocks at the door. Knock-knock-knock. "Hold on, I'll be there in a second," Ichigo called out as he raised himself off the chair and made his way towards the door muttering to himself as he did so.<p>

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK. Another set of knocks, this time more urgent and loud.

"Hold your fucking horses, why don't you," he grumbled. Swinging open the door, he wearily stated, "I'm not interested, go somewhere else to sell your shi…Rukia? What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked, watching wide-eyed as a soaked, red-eyed yet immaculately dressed Rukia Kuchiki invited herself into his small two roomed apartment.

"OI, Midget, I never said you could come inside…..HOLY MOTHER OF GOD THAT HURTS LIKE SHIT!" as Rukia delivered a full on kick into his Solar plexus, sending Ichigo flying into his apartment wall.

&a&

A few minutes later, Rukia had dried off and was sitting in his living room, next to the heater, watching the rain as it continued to fall.

"So, why didja come now midget?" after setting down a cup of hot tea in front of her…BAM….and earning a nice bruise on his shoulder for the midget comment.

"Idiot…"

They sat there, in silence just enjoying the other's company until Rukia decided to speak up.

"Ichigo, it's been a while, hasn't it? Two months since…."

"Since…that time." Ichigo finished with a sad look on his face

_&a&  
><em>

_It was time._

_In just two hours, Rukia would get married to a man she didn't even know, a man chosen by the Kuchiki clan. And Ichigo would be there, watching as his best friend and lover was torn from him._

_Standing in the chapel, he wandered the corridors meaninglessly, looking around him as if not believing what he was seeing._

"_Ichigo." At the sound of his name, he turned to face the speaker and almost had a heart attack._

_Rukia stood before him in the chapel, wearing a strapless pure white wedding dress, exposing her shoulders and most of her neck. Nestled in her hair was a small white flower, contrasting beautifully with her dark hair._

"_Fool! You have a job to do, do you not? You're going to be playing my w-wedding song. Aren't you supposed to be getting ready to play, or to do something or to...t-to…"_

"_Sigh, Rukia…stop, you don't have to go through with this."_

"_No, you're wrong Ichigo, I do, for the Kuchiki clan, for nii-sama, for…"_

"_I don't give a fuck, it's your life! You shouldn't have to do this for anyone, not Byakuya's and most definitely not the fucking Kuchiki clan. We can still stop this, I'll go talk to Byakuya now, I'll ask him to break off the engagement."_

"_NO! Don't Ichigo, please, don't give him more reason to send you away once this is done…I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't have someone to talk to, someone to be there for me, someone…t-to j-just…"_

"_Shhh," Ichigo said as he pulled her into a warm embrace. "Don't cry Rukia, I'm sorry, please don't cry…it's not worth crying over."_

"_I-Ichigo?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_I love you." Rukia sobbed into his jacketless tuxedo. (AN)_

"_Love you too midget," he replied, which while it successfully managed to stop Rukia's tears, it also earned him a nice kick to the shins._

"_OW, fuck Rukia, I was trying to be nice."_

_At that, Rukia had to crack a smile. "Ichigo…"_

"_Are you sure Rukia? I'll only ask this one last time."_

"_Yes…I owe it to nii-sama at the very least…"  
>"Then I've got your back Rukia, always."<em>

"_Thanks, idiot."_

_&a&  
><em>

_He had to say, Rukia did look stunning in her wedding dress as she walked down the aisle towards her groom, Aizen Sosuke. Ichigo hadn't even known the man until one hour ago, but he already hated him._

_His cold attitude towards Rukia, his condescending nature and the fact that he treated this whole thing the same way one would a business deal, just served to paint him as even more of a bastard in Ichigo's eyes._

_Apart from that, all he knew of the man boiled down to the fact that he came from a ridiculously rich family and was being married to Rukia in order to make both Aizen's family and the Kuchiki family richer._

_Rukia deserved better, someone to love her, someone who would hold her when she had a bad dream, someone to comfort her when something goes wrong, someone who would worship her like the goddess she is._

_But Ichigo didn't say anything, instead, unclenching his hands from the fists they had formed, turning facing the piano, and launching into Wagner's March(AN 2), determined to make Rukia happy, even if this was an arranged marriage. However, as he continued to play, a second, more alluring melody could be heard, as he abruptly changed the tune he was playing and let the music take over…_

_&a&  
><em>

_Rukia made it halfway down the aisle struggling not to cry, Byakuya at her side, as she basked in Ichigo's music and remembered all the times he sat with her and played her favorite songs for her, to avoid embarrassing not only herself but the entire clan by breaking down on her wedding day. Closing her eyes and focusing on the music, she was surprised to discover the dry melody of her Wedding March slowly phasing out and changing into something more familiar…_

_Her eyes snapped open at her sudden realization. __ICHIGO, NO!_

&a&

"I missed you for those last two years…Ichigo."

"I know midget, I know. I…missed you too."

"So, why? Where did you go? Where were you, when I needed you?"

Ichigo suddenly froze, not moving, not breathing and making no sound at all. This continued for almost three minutes, to the point where Rukia was worried he had gone into shock before he replied with just the slightest angry quaver in his otherwise too calm voice.

"Do you really want an answer to that…Rukia?"

Lightning flashed outside and the thunder roared as the heavens themselves appeared to weep.

* * *

><p>AN - I really have no idea what to call that kind of suit so I called it a jacketless tux. If you want to get a better idea of what Ichigo's suit looks like, google image taeyang wedding dress and it's the suit that he's wearing.<p>

AN 2 - Wagner's march is the traditional Here comes the Bride Song.

So if anyone figures out what song Ichigo decided to play instead of Wagner's march, keep it to yourselves and let people who don't know figure it out on their own.

Other than that, I had fun writing this...I do have some idea of where I want it to go but suggestions are always appreciated, if you do wish to make a suggestion, PM me or leave a review.

I hope you had as much fun reading it as I did writing. See you at the next chapter!

Shikata-ga-nai3012


	2. Chapter 2 : Wedding Song

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. (and if I did, I'd probably butcher it beyond recognition), also do not own Wedding Dress by Taeyang (official eng version).

Set in a world where there are no Shinigami, Hollows and all that jazz.

_Words in Italic_ stand for flashbacks.

Underlined words stand for thoughts.

&a& Indicates change of scene/ timeskip or POV.

Enjoy!

* * *

><p><em>A few minutes away from Ichigo's apartment<em>

_Rukia ran fast as she could through the pouring rain that showed no sign of stopping anytime soon. It was ironic then, that the day she found him, it would rain, considering what the rain represented to them._

_Reaching his apartment complex, Rukia felt a sudden rush of fear, her veins chilling. "__Stupid, what's there to be afraid of? It's not like he's going to slam the door on you or something."__ Yet despite her attempts to quell this sudden burst of anxiety and doubt, she could not help but wonder. "__Why weren't you there? Ichigo…"_

&a&

Sitting there and recalling her thoughts before entering his apartment, Rukia boldly stated, with just a slight tinge of sadness "I missed you for those last two years…Ichigo."

"I know midget, I know. I…missed you too." His reply, brief as it was, washed over her like a soothing wave of heat that washed away the chill in her veins she experienced after seeing him again. She felt warmth creep up to her cheeks as she blushed, turning her head slightly in order to hide it. "Damn you Ichigo…Even after two years apart, you still do this to me."

But she could not forget his absence for those two years, nor could she excuse them. Imposing the trademark Kuchiki poker face over her features, she faced him and asked, "So, why? Where did you go? Where were you, when I needed you?"

At that, Ichigo's face froze, not moving, not breathing and making no sound at all.

Once or twice, Rukia was tempted to make sure he was okay…snap him out of it maybe; good whack to the head but restrained herself.

Finally, Ichigo looked back at her, eyes blazing like the sun before saying,

"Do you really want an answer to that…Rukia?"

&a&

_(*Cue music*)_

_Everyone listened as the traditional wedding song was suddenly replaced by another more heartfelt tune. The familiar melody rang out through the chapel, prompting a few raised eyebrows but most of the many guests, thinking it was planned, went back to doing whatever it was they were doing. All but three people. Three heads snapped up as one as Byakuya, Rukia and of all people, Aizen gave their undivided attention to the orange-haired man in front of the grand piano as he started to sing in his baritone voice._

_Some say it's not over till it's over_

_But I guess it's really over now_

_There's something I gotta say before I let you go_

_Listen…_

_&a&_

"Do you remember Rukia, the song I played at your wedding?"

"*gasp*"

&a&

_Can't believe what's goin' on_

_Gotta keep my cool, be calm_

_When I heard you and he was screamin' out of control_

_All I can think about is "No, no, no… he won't_

_hurt the one I've cared for so long, long… Hell, no."_

_At that, Aizen was visibly shaking with unchecked fury, having been accused of hurting his bride was no small matter and could very easily be considered a stain on his reputation, but he kept silent as the song went on._

_I know we're done, and now it's none of my concern but how_

_can two be windin' out from only weeks in goin' out_

_Just makes me feel that what we had was real_

_Could it be or is it too late? (Oh, oh baby)_

_The chapel erupted into screams of protest, people screaming left, right and center as they finally caught on to the protest Ichigo was making. But for Rukia, it was as if the whole room didn't exist, just her and Ichigo as she stood dumbstruck where her bridal procession had left off._

_Baaaaaaaaa-by_

_Listen to your heart, won't let you down_

_Cause you should be my Laaaaa-dy_

_Now that we're apart love will show how_

_Life carries on…_

_I've never felt so strong_

_Life can lead us to a happiness never ending_

_If we just know that we belong to each other_

_Never worry, grow as we go_

_See you in your wedding dress_

_I can see you in your wedding dress_

_I see you walking down in your … (wedding dress)_

_I can see you in your wedding dress (Oh, yeah)_

_Ichigo watched as Byakuya, looked around at the chaos that he had brought to the wedding, then as Byakuya sneaked a glance back at Rukia only to see the beginnings of what looked to be a tear forming.  
>All set to call off the wedding right then and there, he opened his mouth only to be shouted down by one Kuchiki Megami (AN), the elder of the Kuchiki clan, ordering the guards to remove Kurosaki Ichigo from the premises in no uncertain terms.<em>

"_SHIT!"__ Ichigo thought as he watched three large guards move towards the piano._

_As he was dragged off before managing to start the next verse, it was all Byakuya could do to stop Rukia from running after Ichigo. Right as he was dragged out the door, his eyes met Byakuya's and the two men shared a moment of understanding._

"_Protect her Byakuya…do what I couldn't."_

_He watched as Byakuya gave a curt but small nod, as if acknowledging the message before he shouted at the top of his lungs, "I'LL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR YOU RUKIA!," as he was dragged out the chapel doors._

_&a&_

"I remember…..you said you'd always be there for me," Rukia said before finally bursting into tears, tears that were soon wiped away by the man sitting in front of her. Pulling her into a tight hug, he spoke soothingly, like towards a newborn.

"Shhhhhhh, Rukia, it's okay, it's fine, you've probably had a horrible two years…I-I'm sorry I couldn't be there, I'm sorry I didn't get your back, even when I said I would, I-"

"No, I-Ichigo, how could you? I was, I am a married woman, it would've been improper then…It's improper now, I-I shouldn't have come here, I should go," she said, pulling away from the hug and making her way towards the door.

"No, wait, Rukia, don't go," as Ichigo moved to block the door.

A tick mark appeared on Rukia's forehead. "Move, Idiot," she said in an ice cold voice.

With a shit-eating grin forming on his face contrary to the shudders that went up his spine after hearing her "Ice Queen" voice, Ichigo replied "Nu-uh, it's not like you can do anything about it can you…"

More tick marks. "He better not say it."

"..Midget."

WHUMP!

Fist to the stomach.

Stare into those vibrant orange eyes that silently mocked her while clenched in pain.

The eyes that seemed to go straight through her soul, the eyes that reflected so much warmth and love even after being sucker-punched….And that aggravating small smirk on his face, like he knew he'd won.

She snapped.

Hand on his collar.

SHRRIIIP!

Pull down.

MMPH-…as Rukia silenced Ichigo's muffled protest with a soul shattering kiss that melted him and turned him into jelly. He didn't know if it was her taste, the one that belonged to only her, the one that drove him nuts or her fresh scent, like the smell of flowers or the intensity with which she was kissing him but whatever it was, he couldn't get enough of it. Pure Rukia, as intoxicating as the most addictive drug and as enjoyable as the finest wines. Throwing one arm over her shoulder and pulling her closer with the other, he leant in and deepened the kiss…

&a&

Rukia didn't know what she was thinking when she pulled him down and tried her best to kiss the ever-loving daylights out of him. Blame it on his lips, those delectable looking lips of his that were now sending her to new heights of pleasure. Initially, he had been shocked, unresponsive, but within a few seconds he placed his arms around her and pulled her closer to deepen the kiss and she in turn wrapped her arms around him.

Their mouths melded together as she parted her lips to allow his tongue purchase.

She moved sensually under his body bringing them as close as possible as he held her high against the wall, grinding into her. She, in response snaked her hands through his orange tresses and around to the back of his neck. The ruthless attacks to their significant others mouth replaced the cold ice in her veins with a blazing fire that threatened to consume her whole, like dry leaves in a firestorm.

Moving his mouth from hers and placing it on her neck, he began kissing so hard, she felt him draw blood, like animals mark their mates.

There was definitely going to be a bruise there later.

Forget that she was a married woman, forget everything. As of now, she was just Ichigo's woman. All she knew was the touch of his roving hands and lips and the chills they sent up her spine as they brushed her skin.

Suddenly, Ichigo pulled up from her neck as Rukia let out a loud gasp like a diver who surfaces for air, looked Rukia in the eyes and in a breathy voice stated,

"Why don't we continue this in my room….Kuchiki?"

After a few seconds to get her bearings, in an equally breathless voice, Rukia grinned and stated.

"Sure thing, Kurosaki."

* * *

><p>AN – Megami means goddess, an apt title seeing how powerful the elders of the Kuchiki clan are.<p>

What can I say? Taeyang is addictive...

Well, working like mad to get this 2nd chapter up before the end of the day and it happened! YAY I'm so happy :D

Sorry about the numerous flashbacks but they are needed for the story, they will be continuing for a while but after that, it should all be dandy :)

Also, am I moving too fast? Please don't hesitate to share your opinions.

As of now, I'm currently beta'ing my own work, if anyone is interested, shoot me a PM.

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please R&R.

Shikata-ga-nai3012


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